Buchholz Rallies From 14 Down, Stuns Jesuit 20-17 on Last-Second Field Goal

Timothy Ortiz kicks the go-ahead field goal with two seconds remaining as the Bobcats erase a 17-3 halftime deficit at Alumni Field

Buchholz's offensive line gathers during the Bobcats' 20-17 victory over Jesuit at Alumni Field in Tampa. | Jaret Roja

Buchholz spent the first half Friday night's football game in Florida searching for answers against Jesuit.

The Bobcats found them after halftime — and Timothy Ortiz supplied the final one with two seconds remaining.

Ortiz kicked the go-ahead field goal to complete Buchholz's comeback from a 14-point halftime deficit and give the Bobcats a 20-17 victory over Jesuit at Alumni Field in Tampa.

Jesuit led 17-3 at halftime behind two touchdowns from senior running back Hezekiah Davis. But Buchholz shut out the Tigers in the second half, leaned on its offensive line and running game to erase the deficit and put Ortiz in position to win it in the closing seconds.

Buchholz coach Mark Whittemore summed it up succinctly afterward.

"It was the tale of two halves and a kick," Whittemore said. "The second half was our half, the first half was theirs, and here we are."

Hezekiah Davis Powers Jesuit to 17-3 Lead

Jesuit struck first after freshman quarterback Jack Griffin connected with wide receiver David Hill on a deep completion that helped set up a field goal. The kick gave the Tigers a 3-0 lead with 6:44 remaining in the first quarter.

Buchholz answered with a field goal, but Davis soon produced the game's first touchdown.

The Dartmouth commit broke free for a 77-yard touchdown run with 37 seconds remaining in the first quarter, giving Jesuit a 10-3 advantage.

TOUCHDOWN: Jesuit senior RB Hezekiah Davis BLOWS past the defense en route to a 77-yard TD run 😮‍💨

XP GOOD. 10-3 Jesuit. :37 remaining 1Q. @JesuitTigers_FB pic.twitter.com/F0Bs5leD8S

— Jaret Rojas (@RojasTalksTampa) September 19, 2026

Davis struck again with 3:57 left in the second quarter, scoring his second touchdown to send the Tigers into halftime with a 17-3 lead.

Jesuit's defense did its part as well. Texas A&M commit Kaden Henderson recorded a sack as the Tigers kept Buchholz out of the end zone throughout the opening half.

"We showed out in the first half," Davis said. "We came a little short in the second half, but we're seeing glimpses of what we can become, and it's starting to all come together."

The Tigers had controlled the first two quarters.

Then the game changed.

Buchholz Runs Its Way Back Into the Game

Buchholz turned increasingly to its offensive line and running game after halftime.

Quarterback Andrew Whittemore scored the Bobcats' first touchdown on a quarterback sneak, beginning the comeback and cutting into Jesuit's 14-point advantage.

Whittemore also became a bigger part of the rushing attack as Buchholz challenged a Jesuit defense that had been difficult to run against.

Mark Whittemore believed his offensive line was built for that challenge.

"We're gnarly," Whittemore said. "The 'hog mollies,' as we like to call them up there, they're big, they're fierce. We were leaning on people, and that gets old after a while as a defensive lineman."

By the fourth quarter, that physical approach had put Buchholz in position to pull even.

The Bobcats reached the goal line with 5:07 remaining, but Andrew Whittemore was forced to leave the field for one play after his helmet came off.

Buchholz responded by putting running back Joshua Menefee in the Wildcat formation.

Menefee scored.

The extra point tied the game at 17 and completed the Bobcats' climb out of the 14-point halftime hole.

They weren't finished.

TOUCHDOWN: RB Joshua Menefee gets in the endzone on an impromptu Wildcat formation after QB Andrew Whittemore’s helmet comes off

XP GOOD. 17-17. 5:07 remaining 4Q @BuchholzFB pic.twitter.com/6ASkffgdp6

— Jaret Rojas (@RojasTalksTampa) September 19, 2026

Timothy Ortiz Wins It with Two Seconds Left

After holding Jesuit scoreless throughout the second half, Buchholz got the football back with an opportunity to win.

The Bobcats moved into field-goal range on their final possession and turned the game over to Ortiz.

With two seconds remaining, Ortiz converted the field goal to give Buchholz its first lead of the night, 20-17.

Jesuit fielded the ensuing kickoff, but the remaining time expired on the play.

Comeback complete.

"We showed a lot of resilience," Mark Whittemore said. "I think that's the critical word."

The Buchholz coach also credited Jesuit after a matchup between two programs that battled until the final seconds.

"This is a good football team, obviously," Whittemore said. "They've been good, a great program. We're trying to continue to be a good program. This was a couple of really quality football programs and quality football staffs going head-to-head."

For Jesuit, the challenge is turning the football it played while building a 17-3 lead into a complete four-quarter performance.

"We're definitely looking to improve, to withstand throughout the game and to not give up the big plays," Davis said. "Just keep going, keep getting the first downs and finish the game."

On Friday night, it was Buchholz that finished.

After being held without a touchdown in the first half, the Bobcats scored 17 unanswered points, shut out Jesuit over the final two quarters and walked out of Alumni Field with a 20-17 comeback victory.